Chief Information Security Officer for CalSAWS

Job Description:

Chief Information Security Officer for CalSAWS

Description

Position Description

Are you a visionary cybersecurity leader ready to safeguard one of the largest government cloud-based systems in the nation? Do you have the experience to guide vendors, influence stakeholders, and protect financial and personal data for more than fifteen million Californians? Are you ready to define and lead security strategy at scale? If so, CalSAWS invites you to apply today to join our team as their next Chief Information Security Officer!

Position Information

The Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) provides executive-level leadership for CalSAWS’ cybersecurity, compliance, and risk management program. Reporting directly to the Executive Director, this role is responsible for building the enterprise-wide security vision, ensuring compliance with state and federal regulations, and driving the adoption of frameworks such as NIST and Zero Trust. Key areas of responsibility include:

• Protecting statewide financial and personal data across all fifty-eight counties in California.
• Overseeing vendor performance, governance, and security compliance.
• Managing enterprise cloud-based systems (AWS preferred) and ensuring secure architecture.
• Leading development and validation of System Security Plans (SSPs) and internal controls.
• Driving CalSAWS’ cybersecurity strategy and building a multi-year roadmap.
• Conducting risk assessments and audits (with vendors executing operational work).
• Serving as liaison to auditors, regulators, state partners, and oversight bodies.
• Translating complex cybersecurity risks into actionable business decisions.

The Ideal Candidate Will:

• Demonstrate strategic leadership including being able to see where the team is and where it needs to go.
• Possess strong external-facing skills which includes interfacing with counties, state and federal partners, and vendors.
• Be adept at mentorship, guiding a small team while influencing a much broader vendor workforce.
• Bring proven CISO-level experience managing large-scale, multi-agency systems.
• Have deep expertise in NIST standards, Zero Trust, DevSecOps, and enterprise cloud security.
• Show skill in building and executing risk-based security strategies and vendor oversight models.
• Be an effective communicator, capable of influencing executives, auditors, and technical stakeholders alike.
• Embrace the challenge and opportunity of securing the world’s largest public eligibility system.

Hybrid and Travel Expectations

CalSAWS supports a hybrid/remote work model with expectations of onsite work on a regular basis.

All positions may be subject to some short-term travel in order to conduct project business with the state and counties. The CalSAWS project office is currently located in Gold River, California and is expected to open an office in Norwalk, California in the near future.

Who is CalSAWS?

The California Statewide Automated Welfare System (CalSAWS) is the largest county-based human services system in the nation. In June 2019, all fifty-eight California counties formed the CalSAWS Consortium as a Joint Powers Authority (JPA) to govern system operations and represent the collective interests of every county.

As of October 2023, CalSAWS successfully unified all counties into a single statewide system. CalSAWS is now in its Maintenance and Operations (M&O) phase, ensuring reliable, secure, and efficient system functionality for millions of Californians. The organization is currently transitioning vendor contracts in phases, with infrastructure services completed in July 2025 and Maintenance and Enhancements (M&E) services scheduled to conclude by January 2026.

CalSAWS plays a vital role in enabling counties to deliver essential services effectively and securely, making this position a critical opportunity to contribute to California’s statewide public service mission.

Examples of Duties

Link to full job description: CIT-0119-25-Chief-Information-Security-Officer.pdf

Typical Qualifications

TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE:

Bachelor's degree in Cybersecurity, Information Technology, Computer Science, Information Systems, or related field AND seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience in cybersecurity, compliance, and risk management, including two (2) years in a senior security leadership role such as CISO.

-OR Four (4) years of experience as a CISO, Deputy CISO, or similar role in a public-sector organization responsible for enterprise security and risk governance.

-OR Four (4) years of experience managing security strategy and audit compliance for a large-scale, multi-agency system, including two (2) years of direct supervision of security personnel.

REQUIRED CERTIFICATIONS:

• CISSP - Certified Information Systems Security Professional
• CISM - Certified Information Security Manager

OPTIONAL CERTIFICATIONS:

• CCISO - Certified Chief Information Security Officer
• ITIL Foundation (v3 or v4) - Information Technology Infrastructure Library

Supplemental Information

BENEFITS and SALARY INFORMATION:

SALARY: $13,565.05 - $19,477.60 monthly depending on experience.

For information on benefits through RGS employment - https://rgsjpa.org/rgs-employees-assigned-to-calsaws/

EMPLOYMENT: For candidates employed with a county in California who are not able to support a staff member on the CalSAWS project, the CalSAWS Consortium contracts with Regional Government Services (RGS) to provide staff for the consortium. The employee hried from this recruitment and selection process are expected to work for the CalSAWS Consortium through the contract with Regional Government Services (RGS), who provides staff for the consortium.

APPLICATION PROCESS AND SELECTION PROCEDURE:

Ready to take the next step? Email Careers@CalSAWS.org to join CalSAWS as Security and Operations Manager and be part of shaping the future of statewide technology and security!

Application Deadline - October 24, 2025

To apply email Careers@CalSAWS.org and attach your resume.

All submissions will be reviewed by CalSAWS, with interviews scheduled for the most qualified candidates.

For questions contact - Jennifer Seel at SeelJ@CalSAWS.org.

CalSAWS is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Closing Date/Time: 10/24/2025 11:59 PM Pacific

Salary:

$162,780.60 - $233,731.20 Annually